The Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs’ legal case is back in the spotlight, and this time, a former NFL wide receiver has a blunt message for the 28-year-old. T.J. Houshmandzadeh addressed Jacobs’ latest move to keep evidence from his battery case out of public view.
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Jacobs filed a civil lawsuit against the Hobart-Lawrence Police Department on Wednesday, seeking a permanent injunction to block the release of records tied to a May 23 altercation at his home. The department had decided that some records could be released with redactions. The NFL is also seeking evidence from the incident as it investigates the case.
“I’m not very familiar with how this – get this injunction – ‘I want to block this, I want to block that.’ All I can say is, when it’s a civil suit, and it’s a man, and it’s a woman if you put your hands on her, deal with the consequences,” Houshmandzadeh said on Speakeasy on Friday.
“You weren’t worried about the consequences when you were putting your hands on her, so don’t worry about the consequences that come after you put your hands on her. And if you didn’t put hands on her, everything I said don’t matter.”
The former wide receiver also spoke about being a father to three daughters and the importance of controlling emotions during heated situations. He said he hoped the allegations did not reflect what actually happened, but stood by his message about accountability.
The lawsuit comes after Jacobs pleaded no contest on September 10 to misdemeanor battery and criminal damage to property charges stemming from the incident with his then-girlfriend. He was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine plus court costs for the battery charge. The criminal damage charge can be dismissed after a year if he meets the conditions of his agreement with prosecutors.
According to the criminal complaint, surveillance footage from Jacobs’ garage verified the woman’s account that he “grabbed her and threw her to the ground and she struck her head, suffering an injury.” The footage has not been released publicly.
Jacobs’ attorneys argued that releasing the records could expose the woman’s identity and sensitive personal information. They also said footage showing the garage’s layout and security arrangements could put Jacobs’ home at risk of theft or burglary.
The woman had also sought to keep the evidence sealed, but a judge denied her request in September and left the decision on public access to the police department. Jacobs’ new lawsuit seeks to prevent the release from going ahead.
Jacobs has been on the NFL commissioner’s exempt list and has not been permitted to practice or play while the league investigates. The designation is not a formal suspension, and the NFL has not announced a final disciplinary decision.
The league wants access to the evidence, including the garage footage, as it reviews whether Jacobs violated its personal conduct policy. If the NFL suspends him, the time he has already spent on the exempt list would count toward that suspension.